Saturday, November 14, 2015

With the attacks in Paris sitting at the top of my newsfeed,
with Facebook lit up in Red, White and Blue, with Syrian refugees streaming
over the border and universities being bombed and people sleeping in the cold,
it seems small to sit here tonight and think about the many things still to do.

Because tonight we are warm. We are safe. Tonight I am able
to touch my children and know that they have never gone hungry a day in their
lives.

I’ve never been a great believer in the concept of spending
November remembering to be grateful, because gratitude is something that should
be celebrated daily, year round. But tonight, I am tired. I am stressed. I am
two steps away from curling up in a fetal position in the corner, tucking my
knees to my chest and not coming out until January.

Tonight, sitting here at my computer hearing from those in Paris
who are reaching out, I am ashamed. And desperately in need of the reminder of
how truly blessed we are.

So tonight, I want to celebrate thirty days of
gratitude with thirty reminders of how lucky I am to be who I am, where I am,
when I am. And as November passes, and the year passes with it, and days come
when I am tired and stressed and ready to give up, I will remember. I will
remember:

·That I have a home that keeps us warm and safe
and dry,

·I can go to sleep at night without fear,

·I have a family that loves me and stretches
around the world,

·My children are healthy,

·All of my children live together under my roof,

·My husband works hard to make sure our bills are
paid and we never go hungry,

·I have the opportunity to go to nursing school
and receive the education I need to do something I love,

·I will have the opportunity to do that something
in a manner that benefits my community and, someday, those less fortunate than
I,

·In two weeks, I get to start working at a job
that not only pays reasonably well, but that I’m absolutely certain I’ll enjoy,

·We have two working vehicles that take us where
we need to go,

·There is money in the bank if something breaks,

·Our refrigerator and pantry are full,

·We have good health insurance,

·Because we have good health insurance, I’ll
never have to choose between paying the bills and getting my children the care
and medications they need,

·We have the opportunity to offer four cats a
better life,

·We are able to sponsor and get to know a lovely
young woman that lives half a world away,

·We live near enough to a large urban area that
we’re never lacking for healthcare or dental providers,

·We live far enough away from a large urban area
that I’m not afraid to let my kids play outside,

·We have electricity and indoor plumbing,

·Because my husband’s job pays for our internet,
we always have a connection to the world,